A Park Slope pol says the owner of a Grand Army Plaza old-folks home who is allegedly harassing seniors to evict them is “evil.”

Councilman Brad Lander (D–Park Slope) ratcheted up his criticism of Prospect Park Residence owner Haysha Deitsch over his efforts to give the boot to elderly residents of the assisted-living facility at 1 Prospect Park West, saying Deitsch is trying to convert the building into luxury condos, and that his latest tactics add a whole new layer of deviousness to the equation.

“We’ve known for a long time he is morally bankrupt, but this is active evil,” Lander said. “Most people’s mothers taught them not to profit off the pain of elderly people and Holocaust survivors.”

In his denouncement, Lander joins families of Residence tenants who claim Detisch is intentionally making conditions at the facility unlivable to drive them out. The families have been battling Deitsch in court since Mary, shortly after he told residents they had three months to pack their bags. Most have found new accommodations, but nine seniors remain, some of whose families say they are too frail to move.

A judge has repeatedly pushed back the eviction, requiring Deitsch to make good on the tenants’ leases, but his foes accuse him of firing most of his staff, dimming lights in the halls, serving less nutritional food, and at least once leaving the front door open with no doorman.

“His plan is to torture people out of the building,” Lander said. “It is very difficult to stay when there are such deplorable conditions, I am more and more outraged by his evil, immoral, and defiant behavior.”

Deitsch’s lawyers did not respond to a request for comment, but a letter filed in court on Oct. 31 disputes the accusations of neglect and in turn accuses tenants of failing to pay rent and holding an “unauthorized musical performance” in the building.

Lander said that Deitsch has failed to cash some tenants’s checks but denied that there was any sort of rent strike.

Lander and a handful of remaining tenants, most of whom are older than 90, demonstrated at the building on Nov. 1.

Trying to turn a profit by kicking out elderly residents would be bad enough, Lander said, but Deitsch continued to take in new tenants even as he was filing a closure plan with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

“He could have let people move out over time and not filled vacancies, but he was so greedy he said, ‘We can’t miss one month’s rent,’ ” Lander said.

There may be a case to sue Deitsch for fraud for continuing to take in tenants when he knew the facility’s days were numbered, the pol posited.

Reasonable discourse

Virginia Slims says:

This article doesn't even scratch the surface. Before this "landlord" showed up, these were young people. He hired a gypsy to curse them and turn them old!If you are in doubt - just look at them. Like wrinkly old sacks of fruit.

Nov. 5, 2014, Noon

Crawdad from Park Slope says:

Politicians never miss a chance to pander.

References to Holocaust and claims of antisemitism (against a Jew, no less)? CheckParading about old folks as props? CheckCalling landlords evil and morally bankrupt? Check

Unless I'm missing something, the landlord is doing everything legally. If people feel so bad for the former residents, no one is stopping anyone from assisting them.

Stop pandering and stop wasting everyone's time; this building will be condos in no time, and there's nothing that can be done by politicos.

Nov. 5, 2014, 9:41 pm

Moses Kestenbaum ODA from Williamsburg says:

Brad Lander is an oppurtunist and cheap publicity seeker. Its a private building and the owner has a right to do with the property what ever he wants. lander go get some goverment funds to relocate these tenants , but that will require you to work you lazy good for nothing cheapo

Nov. 6, 2014, 9:46 am

Tom from Williamsburg says:

Like housing lawyers like to say, "morality's got nothing to do with it!"

Nov. 6, 2014, 12:27 pm

mark from brooklyn says:

why does no one speak about how there where homes found for all of the adultsBUT kids wont money from this eval personthere where some that where going to get 6 to 8 months free rent but they still wont cashthat side no on picks up on and how theses poor parents are a pawn that the kids are playing with to get MONEY mrs marks begs to leave BUT i guess she cant

Nov. 6, 2014, 2:08 pm

ABBA from Park Slope says:

Shame on the children!

Your old folks deserve better. The last few residents who have not moved out are being abused by their greedy parents. Shame on you!When you children were young and cute your parents, who now reside at the Prospect Park Residence, cared lovingly for you. They had sleepless nights, walked you in the park and were concerned with your education.

50 years later and you want to extract some measly dollars from the landlord using your parents as an excuse to reap a bit of unearned cash.

120 of the original 130 residents did indeed find other facilities to relocate to.

But you, children of the last 10, are holding your parents (as per you complaint in court) in “sub-human conditions” to squeeze some money from the landlord, the courts and the DOH who see right thru you.

As to the accusations of “serving less nutritional food” et al, that is ridicules. The judge has visited the facility a few times and saw nothing wrong with the conditions.

The Board of Health visits the facility on a regular basis. The place place is fully staffed.

Money. Money. And then again – Money.

Shame on the ungrateful children!

Animals show more respect to patents.

Nov. 7, 2014, 11:58 am

Kevin from Carroll Gardens says:

I don't understand the brouhaha over this. Don't the landlords have a right to close the facility? I might not need happy if my local grocery decides to close, but this is a free country. There are plenty of assisted living facilities in NYC.

Nov. 7, 2014, 12:27 pm

Charles from Bklyn says:

Private ownership affords many rights. However, purchasing a building with elderly tenants, and then removing them against their will, should not be one of them. Unfortunately, the laws do not protect the elderly as much as it should. And for those above who believe ownership in itself is justification to act in an immoral and unethical manner, think harder about what you believe. One day you could be the elderly being pushed out of your home.

Nov. 7, 2014, 4:03 pm

Comments closed.

First name

Last name

Your neighborhood

Email address

Daytime phone

Your letter must be signed and include all of the information requested above. (Only your name and neighborhood are published with the letter.) Letters should be as brief as possible; while they may discuss any topic of interest to our readers, priority will be given to letters that relate to stories covered by The Brooklyn Paper.

Letters will be edited at the sole discretion of the editor, may be published in whole or part in any media, and upon publication become the property of The Brooklyn Paper. The earlier in the week you send your letter, the better.